"Pitch well today and shut them down."
"I will."
Furuya Satoru nodded firmly.
After a full year of development, his pitching had reached the top tier of high school baseball. Against a team like Eigen High School, he had every confidence in his ability to dominate.
Next, Kanzaki Ryou turned toward Sawamura Eijun, who had been assigned to center field for today's game.
"Aniki! You don't even need to say it!"
Sawamura puffed out his chest and declared loudly.
"I understand perfectly! Every position on the field is important, and I will fulfill my duties as Seido's center fielder!"
His voice echoed throughout the dugout.
Kanzaki couldn't help but laugh.
"Heh, good luck."
The moment Sawamura started talking, his eyes had already drifted toward the mound.
His desire to pitch was practically written across his face.
Soon, the game officially began.
First-base side: Seido High School.
Third-base side: Eigen High School.
Meanwhile, in the stands, all of Seido's players who weren't part of the active lineup had also arrived by team bus to support their teammates.
For many of the first-years, this was their first time experiencing a Seido game from within the organization.
The overwhelming atmosphere left them stunned.
"Whoa..."
"It's only the third round, and there are this many people?"
"Our school's popularity is insane."
One freshman looked toward the opposite dugout.
"The Eigen players look completely overwhelmed."
Another pointed toward the stands packed with cheering fans.
"Kanzaki-senpai's popularity is terrifying."
"Look over there—there are thousands of female fans!"
"And over there!"
Seto Takuma pointed excitedly toward another section.
"Koushuu, look!"
"Those are professional scouts, right?"
Okumura Koushuu maintained his usual expressionless face.
But his pupils trembled slightly.
He had witnessed scenes like this before.
As a spectator.
Now, however, he was part of Seido.
The feeling was completely different.
Not far away, Yui Kaoru sat beside Yuuki Masashi.
Yui leaned forward excitedly, afraid of missing even a single play.
Meanwhile, Masashi at ramrod straight, fists clenched tightly on his knees.
The excitement in his heart was obvious.
Top of the first inning.
Seido's offense.
Lead-off batter Kijima Mio singled.
Second batter Yamaguchi Ken followed with another hit.
Then came the third batter.
Furuya Satoru.
CRACK!
The ball soared deep into the outfield.
Kijima easily scored from second.
Seido struck first.
No outs.
Runners on second and third.
Then—
The cleanup hitter stepped to the plate.
Kanzaki Ryou.
Bat resting casually on his shoulder, he walked into the batter's box without the slightest sign of tension.
As always, he positioned himself aggressively near the front line of the batter's box.
The moment he settled into his stance, Eigen's catcher felt his breathing become heavier.
They had worked just as hard as anyone else.
They had fought through more than two hundred schools to reach this stage.
Yet the pressure radiating from the batter before him made the gap between them feel enormous.
"Play ball!"
The umpire's voice rang out.
The catcher quickly flashed the sign.
On the mound, Eigen's ace swallowed nervously.
The batter in front of him felt less like a high school player and more like a predator waiting to strike.
But he was the team's ace.
His responsibility was to lead his teammates.
Gathering his courage, he fired an inside high fastball.
An inside fastball.
Kanzaki's eyes lit up.
To him, hitting that pitch felt as natural as breathing.
The bat accelerated.
BOOM!
The sound of impact exploded throughout the stadium.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stop.
Then the baseball rocketed into the sky.
The dreams of Eigen High School had been grand.
Reality, however, was merciless.
The ball disappeared deep into the stands.
A no-doubt home run.
The stadium erupted.
"HOME RUN!!"
"A three-run home run!"
"Seido's cleanup hitter, captain, and ace, Kanzaki Ryou, continues his incredible momentum from Spring Koshien!"
"What an unbelievable player!"
"Captain!!"
"Nice shot!!"
"Kanzaki!!"
The cheers shook the stadium.
Just four batters into the game—
Seido had already scored four runs.
The confidence Eigen had painstakingly built before the game shattered instantly.
By the end of the first inning, the score had become 6-0.
Then it was Seido's turn to take the field.
Furuya Satoru stepped onto the mound.
The cool-faced fireballer drew countless cheers from the crowd.
Whoosh!
Strike!
Whoosh!
Strike!
Whoosh!
Strike three!
"Strikeout!"
"Strikeout!"
"Strikeout!"
Three consecutive strikeouts.
Three up.
Three down.
Furuya's approach today was exceptionally aggressive.
Every pitch challenged the hitters directly.
And Eigen had no answer.
The game progressed rapidly.
By the bottom of the fifth inning, Eigen's final batter stepped into the box with his team already facing a hopeless deficit.
Moments later—
"Out!"
The game was over.
22-0.
Called after five innings.
A mercy-rule victory.
The crowd immediately burst into applause.
Furuya raised his glove and walked off the mound to a chorus of cheers.
His performance had been flawless.
Not a single run allowed.
Ever since his breakout performances at Koshien, he had become one of Seido's most popular players.
And today, he had fully lived up to expectations.
"As expected, they ended it in five innings."
"Seido is just too strong."
"And most of their regular starters weren't even playing."
"Furuya was incredible."
"His velocity may not match Kanzaki's, and his control still isn't perfect, but he's strong enough to overwhelm most teams by himself."
A group of spectators discussed the game as they left.
One of them shook his head.
"Honestly, Eigen had a chance to keep it respectable."
"The problem was that Kanzaki crushed their ace with that first-inning home run."
"After that, their entire rhythm disappeared."
"Yeah."
Another nodded.
"Kanzaki's existence is cruel."
Then someone suddenly remembered something.
"Wait."
"Kanzaki only hit three home runs today, right?"
"That puts him at ninety-nine."
The group immediately looked disappointed.
"I was ready to celebrate number one hundred."
"Same."
"Seido keeps ending games in five innings."
"At this rate, the mercy rule is going to delay the record."
If anyone wanted proof of how spoiled Seido's fans had become, this conversation was all the evidence needed.
Their team had just won 22-0.
And their biggest complaint was that Kanzaki hadn't gotten enough at-bats to break another record.
The players themselves knew nothing about the discussions in the stands.
After the game, Seido immediately boarded the team bus and headed back to school.
None of them planned to stay and watch the other games.
There was little reason to.
Realistically, they wouldn't face a truly dangerous opponent until at least the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Seido's scouting team had already dispersed across various stadiums throughout Tokyo, gathering information on potential future opponents.
On one of the buses behind the main team sat Seido's first-years.
Even now, long after the game had ended, excitement still filled the cabin.
Watching their seniors play live had left a deep impression on everyone.
The cheers.
The atmosphere.
The overwhelming strength.
Everything felt unforgettable.
"The teams in the fourth and fifth rounds aren't that strong."
Seto Takuma was already studying the tournament bracket.
"Kasuga First High in the fifth round used to be a powerhouse, but they've declined quite a bit."
He pointed farther ahead.
"The real challenge will probably be Ichidai Sankou in the semifinals."
"Yuki from Ichidai is amazing too."
"His slider control is incredible."
Seto grinned.
"If Kanzaki faces Yuki, that'll be an amazing game."
The first-years immediately became excited.
Before anyone else could speak, Yui Kaoru suddenly stood up.
His eyes were shining.
"Let's get there ourselves!"
He clenched his fists.
"Let's stand on that field too!"
For a moment, the entire bus fell silent.
Then countless voices echoed in agreement.
Because after witnessing Seido's strength firsthand—
No one was satisfied with simply watching anymore.